The
entrance to the Museum is along a path through the trees. Along this paths are
boards providing information about the clay and past industries. The group had
erected temporary fence posts and ply sheet boards with a short life span.
Dorset AONB approached us and suggested that better display boards would enhance
visitor experience. After a successful application, five chestnut post and hand
carved display boards in the shape of clay waggons have been supplied for the
volunteers to install.

We thank Dorset AONB
for their financial support to the Museum.

£100,000
EUROPEAN UNION GRANT ACCELERATES OPENING MUSEUM

The
money from the Dorset-based Chalk & Cheese rural re-generation fund to the
Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum Group (PMMMG) means the first phase of the
Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum is to open to the public during the
summer of 2013

Volunteers
from the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum Group (PMMMG) have been working on
the project since 2003 and have matched the £100,000 Chalk & Cheese grant
with £50,000 worth of money and labour. So we still need your financial
support.

This
is a major vote of confidence from the Chalk & Cheese rural re-generation
fund in our work to preserve and explain Purbeck’s important industrial
heritage.

The
grant will kick start and fast track the opening of the mine to the public and
enable us to achieve in 30 months what it would have taken us six to eight years
to achieve. We hope to fully open the ball clay mine museum to the public during
2013.

We’re
delighted that all the work put in over the last ten years by a small but very
dedicated and determined team of volunteers has been at last recognised

.

Chalk
& Cheese Director of Programme, Sarah Watson said: “We’re delighted to
make this funding award to the very worthwhile Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum
during such a critical time in the project’s development. This is the first
grant we have awarded in the Isle of Purbeck. The decision to give the Purbeck
Mineral and Mining Museum Group the £100,000 grant was initially made at a
meeting of our local area group members held in the restored ball clay mine
building – and was finally endorsed by our executive committee ”

The £100,000 grant from Chalk & Cheese will enable us to complete the
mine tunnel and sections of the narrow gauge industrial railway over the next 18
months which will extend for up to a mile when ultimately completed.

We
would like to acknowledge the invaluable help of Imerys – which currently
recovers Purbeck ball clay from quarries rather than mines – as well as the
support and goodwill from Purbeck businesses which have helped with providing
services, equipment and materials to the mining museum project.

Since
2000, the Group has raised some £45,000 to pay for its mineral and mining
museum work.

However
the above Grants, although very welcome and necessary, will only enable the opening
of the Museum. We have plans for the further development of the Museum that
still require a great deal of money. We desperately need a dedicated museum building to
store artifacts including Secundus in a controlled atmosphere. We have plans to
run passenger trains. These will require your support.